As a settlement worker you will need to

As a settlement worker, you will need to use a wide range of print and online resources to access pertinent information in a timely manner. Are your websites organized into folders? Do you know where to go to find information you need? What are your primary tools ?

Asking Questions Effectively

Cultural Competence & Communication

Exercise

Write down your definitions for the following terms:

What is Culture? Definition: the sum total of the way of living; includes values, beliefs, standards, language, thinking patterns, behavioral norms, communications styles, etc. Guides decisions and actions of a group through time.

Culture is similar to an iceberg. An iceberg has a small visible section above the water and a larger invisible section below the water. Culture has some aspects that can be seen and others that cannot be directly observed. Also, like an iceberg, the visible part of culture is only a small part of a much bigger whole.

Unit 4: Understanding the Human Services System

Please identify four programs and services at each level of government that you feel you need to know about as a settlement worker. Please be prepared to explain why you need to know about them.

Employment Programs Employment Ontario provides information on training, apprenticeship opportunities, education, skills, and experience to achieve employment goals. The service provided through a toll-free phone number and a website. The website includes online search for employment and training programs by location and program.

This is a school-to-work transition program offered through Ontario secondary schools. Full-time students in grades 11 and 12 earn cooperative education credits through work placements in skilled trades. Students have the option to formally register as apprentices while in secondary school, allowing them to graduate at the end of Grade 12 with their Ontario Secondary School Diploma and a portion of their apprenticeship already completed.

This initiative assists employers that hire and register youth under 25 years of age who have left school and require upgrading to meet the registration standards for apprenticeship training.

Bridge Training supports the development and implementation of sustainable projects that expedite licensing and accreditation of qualified immigrants for employment in strategic skills areas. Projects are offered by sector-based partnerships including employers, educational institutions, occupational regulatory bodies, and community agencies.

The program provides: • Literacy, numeracy and essential skills services to help individuals achieve goals related to further education or training, employment or increased independence; • Support in clarifying their upgrading goals and developing a training plan to achieve them; • Academic upgrading services to help individuals develop the necessary skills for entry into college-based postsecondary education and training programs (such as apprenticeship).

The program helps people who are unemployed prepare for, obtain and keep a job. It also provides them with services such as employment counselling, job search techniques, job placement and labour market information. Specific services can include any of the following: • Needs Assessment and Return to Work Plans; • Job Finding Clubs; • Career Decision Making; • Targeted Services for Specific Groups of Job Seekers.

The centres provide people looking for work with access to labour market information, job search tools and additional resources to help them find employment. Some centres provide workshops on job search techniques, making career decisions and interview skills. In addition, as part of the Employment Ontario network, the centres will refer clients to other employment services in the community.

The program provides work experience to unemployed job seekers within projects that benefit the community or local economy. At the end of their participation, participants in the program will have recent work experience and additional skills to add to their résumés, increasing their chances of successfully obtaining long-term employment.

The program provides support to unemployed people who are or have recently been eligible for Employment Insurance and need marketable skills in order to re-enter the labour market. It also provides financial assistance to help people with some of the costs associated with acquiring the training they need to re-enter the labour market, such as tuition and books.

The program provides unemployed people who are or have recently become eligible for Employment Insurance with income and entrepreneurial support while they develop and start their business.

The program is designed to provide on-the-job work experience to unemployed people who are or have recently been eligible to receive Employment Insurance. It also enables employers to hire people who face barriers to employment (people they might not otherwise hire) by offering temporary wage subsidies.

Second Career is an Ontario government program that offers training for a new job, including financial support. Second Career provides career planning and financial support specially designed to help laid-off Ontarians participate in long-term training for a new job. Career counsellors in Employment Ontario offices across the province can help clients take the first step.

Labour Market Information is a very useful tool and resource for newcomers. It can help clients make a good decision when they want to change jobs or move to a new place. It can help them find out what the labour market is like for that job or that city. It provides data on employment, wages, standards and qualifications, job openings, working conditions and future trends. What are some good sources of Labour Market Information?

Global Experience Ontario is an access and resource centre for internationally trained professionals that provides information and assistance on how to qualify for professional practice in Ontario. They serve 14 different professions including accounting, engineering, law, social work, teaching and veterinary medicine. They also provide information on academic credential assessment, bridging programs, career maps and the Ontario Public Service Internship Program

Health. Force. Ontario is the province’s strategy to ensure that Ontarians have access to the right number and mix of qualified health care providers, now and in the future. Assists internationally educated health professionals living in Ontario to become qualified to practice in the province. Information on professional regulatory bodies, education and assessment programs, licensure, registration processes, alternative health professions, internship and mentorship

Immigrants may wish to have their international credentials evaluated so that employers, colleges, universities and professional licensing bodies can recognize their credentials. Each regulatory body in Ontario decides how to assess an applicant's academic credentials. Some educational institutions and occupational regulatory bodies have their own academic assessment processes.

Based upon number of hours worked Eligibility and the amount are based upon your Record of Employment Currently there are 4 types of benefits:

Persons legally entitled to work in Canada who have an interruption of earnings due to shortage of work, injury, quarantine, pregnancy, adoption, personal illness, or a grave illness in the family. Claimants must have worked a minimum of 420 -700 hours (depending on region) of insured employment in the year prior to application (600 hours for maternity, parental, sickness or compassionate care benefits)

Claimants who quit a job without just cause or are fired for misconduct may be ineligible for regular benefits. Just cause includes discrimination, sexual harassment, working conditions that constitute a danger to health and safety, significant modification of terms and conditions respecting wages or salary or major changes in work duties.

The Guaranteed Income Supplement provides additional money, on top of the Old Age Security pension, to lowincome seniors living in Canada. To be eligible for the GIS benefit, you must be receiving the Old Age Security pension and meet the income requirements. Supplement added monthly to Old Age Security for those with limited or no income. Reapply when income taxes are filed

A CPP retirement pension is a monthly benefit paid to people who have contributed to the Canada Pension Plan. The pension is designed to replace about 25 percent of the earnings on which a person's contributions were based. Your CPP retirement pension is based on how much, and for how long, you contributed to the Plan.

There is a 3 -month waiting period for Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) coverage. It affects new applicants for coverage and former residents returning to Canada after living in other countries for long periods. You must apply for OHIP in person and you will need three separate pieces of identification to demonstrate the following:

If you are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada, you can sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, dependent child (including adopted child) or other eligible relative (such as a parent or grandparent) to become a permanent resident. There are two different processes for sponsoring your family. One process is used for sponsoring your spouse, conjugal or common-law partner and/or dependent children. Another process is used to sponsor other eligible relatives.

Refugees are people who are fleeing persecution in their homeland seeking protection in Canada. The Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) is an independent tribunal that is responsible for making decisions on immigration and refugee matters. The IRB is primarily responsible for adjudication, appeals and convention refugee determination.

The Permanent Resident Card is issued to clients as part of the immigration process. The Permanent Resident card is now a compulsory document for all Permanent Residents. Any permanent resident who leaves Canada then wishes to return to Canada will not be granted entry unless they produce their PR card. There is an eligibility criteria to apply for the Permanent Resident Card.

There are many different kinds of ESL programs. They are designed for people with different goals and levels of English. Clients should ensure that the language training program is the right one for them. The following serve as examples of different types of language training programs.

The ability to execute an effective search is largely predicated on the ability to conduct an effective needs assessment: Ask yourself:

We have provided a list of helpful websites for settlement workers. In addition to these sites, are there others that you would recommend?